<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]The Holy Spirit does not indwell an unbeliever. Even if we are unhappy about this truth, our children before conversion are not yet in God's Kingdom any more than we were in His Kingdom before our conversions!</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>Susan,<br><br>If someone is elect, then Christ died for his sins whether they are yet regenerate or not. Accordingly, the question we should be discussing is not whether one is regenerated and in the kingdom, but rather whether God would have us say to the child of a professing believing parent that Christ died for his sins. You will only allow such a statment if one claims to be a Christian and has a life that is not contrary to his profession. However, baptism is membership into the visible church and the letters of Paul indicate that although he is addressing the elect in Christ he treats those in the visible church as such. Obviously, you being a baptist don't think that infants should be baptized. So, it is quite consistent of you to think that infants of professing believers should not be considered ones for whom Christ died.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]We cannot call someone a Christian honestly until there is some real evidence that this is the truth. </font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>Do you have anything to back this up? There is evidence that the children of believers are ones whom Christ died for. You just don't accept the evidence as persuasive enough. In fact, I would have more confidence that my infant is one of God's elect and one whom Christ died for than many of the communicate members in my church who profess Christ though are getting into the world. Please appreciate that none of whom I am referring to should be banned from the table due to doctrine or lifestyle. I'll let you think about that one.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]As for prayer, we are to teach our little ones to pray, even before they are actually born again, but the child across the street may be one of God's elect too, even without Christian parents. Who knows if God might be pleased to use your family to tell that child about the Savior. </font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>Mustn't one be regenerated in order to have an effectual prayer? In allowing little ones to pray you are giving them a status, which you deny in doctrine. As for the neighbor across the street, I'm not sure I see the relevance.<br><br>Blessings,<br><br>Ron<br>
